Gregory backpacks

Hi all, I recently got accepted into the new AmeriCorps program that partners with the U.S. Forest Service for a year. They have absolutely no helpful information out in terms of gear yet, so I'm looking for some help in finding what type of daypack would best fit me. I'll be using it outdoors all day so I want something that lasts but doesn't compromise comfort as much. I have a pretty standard tactical backpack and I just purchased a Gregory Nano 30 hiking pack from Sierra. I'm planning on testing them both myself, but if I can get any extra pointers I would greatly appreciate it. The tactical pack is a very solidly built pack, but its more that twice as heavy, and has more compartments than I would care to deal with for daily use. The Gregory backpack has all of the basic features I'm looking for (separate reservoir compartment, top loading with only a few compartments, and some back support) but its lightweight nature makes it seem a little iffy--only a pretty thin layer of fabric is on the bottom. If I'm mostly carrying water, raingear, and some basic equipment. should I worry about the durability that much? I've also considered buying a 30L dry bag to double line the backpack for like 15 bucks. Based on experience would anyone recommend one type of pack over the other? If there any any recommendations for better 25-30L packs please let me know! Thanks so much!!

I just returned from 3 weeks in Vietnam and wanted to go over what I packed in case it helps someone else. The trip was primarily sightseeing in towns/cities. One thing to keep in mind was temperature- it was a heatwave with daily temps averaging around 101 + humidity🥵. That meant changing clothes more than normal (even for SEA) each day so I brought extra tops and did laundry daily . I used laundry sheets cut into smaller sizes + a small wet bag for laundry and that worked great. Another thing specific to my trip was that I needed a second smaller bag I could use for a 2 night hiking/camping excursion.
Bag(s): Gregory Alpaca 40 duffel backpack. Able to use it as carryon flying Singapore Airlines, vietjet, and air Asia without issue. Comfortable, easy to use and Extra room for souvenirs! Final weight was 8.5 kg. On the way there. Heavier on the way back because of stuff bought along the way.
North face fuse box backpack (18L) - personal item for random stuff - snacks, change of clothes for overnight train etc. but brought primarily for camping/hiking trip.
Actual daily bag/purse was a Lululemon belt bag - perfect size and not too heavy in the heat for daily use. I have a small mirrorless dslr camera that I carried on a strap separately when sightseeing. (For more hiking outdoors active trips I usually bring a Patagonia 8L sling bag to hold water and camera.)
Eagle creek lightweight compression cubes used for space and organization - including for toiletries
Clothes: 3 light cotton gauze tops (2 off white and one black/green striped) - dried quickly and were the perfect weight for the heat. 2 merino wool tees - not worn at all because of heat. 3 Patagonia capilene tees - worn constantly - no athletic clothes smell and easy to wash. 1 lightweight tissue cotton/linen blend long sleeve button up - never worn because of heat but I have worn the same shirt during other SEA trips with normal heat temps and recommend under normal conditions. 2 linen dresses - only wore 1 dress and should have left the other home. 3 pairs linen pants - only wore 2 (black & navy) of 3. 1 black lightweight hiking pants (paskho brand) - wore these daily for activities/touring/walking around during the day. Quick dry and great pockets. 1 linen short - worn 3x and didn’t really need them. Mostly worn because I brought them.
8 pairs of underwear (quick dry) - I only needed 5 with all the laundry I was doing. 5 bras - I only wore the 3 quick dry bras, others were too hot. 4 pairs no show sock - lol! Way too hot to wear.
I also had 1 Cotton gauze kaftan/cover up and 1 swimsuit used almost daily; 1 straw hat that was amazing and used daily (Sunday afternoon Havana hat); lightweight pashmina scarf (for overnight train rides and 16 hr flights); 1 cooling towel for neck (amazon - an inspired last second impulse purchase!)
Toiletries: Solid conditioner bar with matador bag - worked amazingly on my 3c curls. Solid deodorant. 3 travel size hair gel - never used. I kept my hair in Dutch braids only due to humidity. 5 travel sunscreen (spf 70 is hard to find and I’m pale af). Sunbum travel face stick spf 50- a favorite. Tiny and easy to apply. Bar soap (100 senses) - loved this for face and body/shaving and shampoo. Razor + blades. 3 travel bug spray (100% deet) - I’m a mosquito magnet but heat killed them off - yay! Travel toothbrush/tooth paste. Decanted makeup - only used mascara. Makeup would have melted off immediately. First aid stuff in a small pouch. Sheet masks - a small luxury post sun/heat. these feel great at the end of the day.
Shoes: allbird tree skippers - lightweight and good for walking but only wore on the plane/train due to heat. Keen rose hiking sandals - worn daily. Sorel flat sandals - worn at night for dinner and pool. Not totally necessary but husband and I planned a few nicer nights out where keens didn’t really work.
Overall there are definitely things I could have cut and I’m not sure what I was thinking with all the pants 😂 but as a former massive over-packer I’m pretty happy with myself.

If this is the wrong sub to ask, please let me know where I should post this instead. Thanks.
I have an opportunity to buy a (mantis green) Gregory Zulu 55. The seller has only used it for one 5 day trip with no issues and it includes the raincover. They are asking $175 CAD (~$130 USD) including shipping, firm price.
I've tried the newer model of this bag on in store and it fit quite well. I also tried an older model (torso length was too large, but the padding was good).
Is this a decent price for the backpack? I haven't seen many 'sold' prices for comparison. Thanks.

Hello! I am looking for suggestions for a one bag! Unfortunately I live in a small town and there’s no where within driving distance that has bags I can try on so I have to order online and hope for the best :( hoping I can get some good ideas from this group! I recently traveled with the Patagonia Black Hole 40L duffle/backpack (I only use it as a backpack, never a duffle). I really liked it overall but it killed my shoulders after a while, so ideally I would like something similar but with hip straps and/or possibly a bit smaller. I am 5’4” with a small frame and short torso for reference.
I am currently considering (but open to other ideas): -Cotopaxi Allpa 35L -Gregory Border 40L -Osprey Fairview 40L -Patagonia Mini MLC 30L

Trying to decide on a pack that barely fits in an airplane overhead compartment
I intend to use it for backpacking and maybe trekking from time to time
Is the gregory zulu a good buy?

I'm 5'2 with a 38cm torso and have been looking for a backpack around 30l for travel. I thought I'd share some of the process because it has been a struggle.
Tl;Dr I've bought the Topo designs mountain pack 28l, it's on its way.
I'm looking for something to use for trips, my wishlist (in order of priority) was:

• available in the UK
• comfortable carry system, incl. hip strap
• at least 28l with no turtle effect
• clamshell
• attractive/ doesn't look like I'm going on a hike
• decent water bottle holder

I decided on a max height of 50cm because taller than that means it's either hanging down over my bum, or it's basically a headrest.
I started by looking at all the recommendations made in this sub and on websites, and also looking through everything on osprey, deuter, etc. Once I'd come up with a shortlist I used my phone and a ruler to estimate the distance between the hip strap and the shoulder straps, to see roughly what size back they would fit. Caveat that this is likely very inaccurate - it's just to give an indication of torso fit
Here's my shortlist:
Osprey sojourn porter 30. I reached out to osprey who couldn't tell me the torso size for this bag, but measuring on screen it looks like minimum torso would be about 37cm. It's clamshell, has a good water bottle holder, decent carry system, height 44cm, and comes in a selection of colours. It should be perfect but I just hate how it looks, especially how deep it is (27cm), and couldn't bring myself to buy it.
Topo designs mountain pack 28. Height 48cm but the straps start a good way down from the top, so minimum torso size looks about 38cm. No clamshell sadly, but it has a "j zip" (a j shaped opening on the front) as well as top access. Great colours, good hip belt, good water bottle pockets. This is the bag I've gone for.
Cabin zero classic pro 32l. Designed to optimise carry on bag size, this bag has 46cm height. The carry system looks okay for short distances, and the bag does have a hip strap, but not sure how comfortable it would be for longer periods. The bag also just feels kind of cheap to me. Great colours though, and a wide opening (not a full clamshell imo). Looks like minimum torso size is about 40cm.
Tropicfeel hive I really like the idea of this bag, but the starting volume is small (22l) and you have to add loads of add-ons, most of which cost extra, to get it to 46l. The add-ons look kind of weird too, especially the kangaroo pouch. Other tropicfeel bags are even smaller, or are much taller. Height 49cm, estimated minimum torso 45cm. (I reached out to tropicfeel to ask about torso sizes for this bag, they didn't have an answer).
AER travel pack 3 small. This bag ticks loads of boxes, but it's also heavy, only comes in black, and the minimum torso size looks more than if expected (46cm, for a 48cm bag).
Osprey transporter global carry on 36l. Very deep (27cm), and looks like around 43cm minimum torso. Also only comes in black
Honourable mentions:

• Thule aion 28. I couldn't get past how ugly I found the colour options so didn't include this bag.
• ULA dragonfly. This looked like it would be really hard to get hold of in the UK, plus it was really expensive, so I didn't include.
• Gregory Jade 28. This has probably the best carry system (women specific fit) and proper torso sizing, plus a very wide front opening. I just didn't like how much it looks like a hiking backpack
• quite a lot of skiing backpacks ticked a lot of boxes, because they tend to have clamshell-type back opening, women-specific fit with good carry systems, and are boxy not tall. Eg. deuter freerider 28SL, osprey sopris 30l. In the end I wasn't sure I could cope with a bag that could only be opening from the back
• similarly camera bags have clamshell opening and many have good carry systems. Eg. Vanguard veo range t48 (27l). Ultimately this was also too tall
• Patagonia black hole MLC 30l, 51cm tall so missed my cut-off. I did email the company about torso sizing, I'm yet to hear back.
• Tom Bihn & Tortuga: both seem to have great options but they're not available in the UK.

I have been traveling for work more frequently recently. Just a few days here and there. I have been using my backpack, which is a Gregory day hike bag, as my personal item and a Nike duffel bag as my carry on.
It is time to get a new luggage system. I feel like in my search I am looking for too many features and I need help narrowing it down.
The two main criteria that must be met are:

1. It must be a suitable size for carry on
2. There must be some backpack detachment or capability so that I can have a backpack to take with me to the visiting offices.

I have looked at different osprey bags. I am not set on this brand, but the two I have been intrigued by are the Fairview 55(the one with the duffel and detachable day bag) and the Farpoint wheeled, which has the capability to be backpack or wheel bag.
I experience some back pain, so having the wheel option is nice. But there is no detachable smaller bag with this. I also like to be hands free, so the 2-in-1 luggage and day bag is even better. I wish there was one bag with all of these features.
Based on my likes, any advice on what my purchase should be?

I know this is niche question. I wonder if a good quality bag (say Osprey, TB, Gregory, Aer, etc) can hold its semi full weight by the top handle for long period of times. I'm asking in case the backpack needs to become a cross bag with attachment to the lower strap insertion and the top handle.

Getting very excited for the festival! I have a Camelbak hydration bladder I normally use for hiking/backpacking which I would love to use for Kilby. I have an older 18L Gregory daypack (Miwok 18), do you think I could get away with using this as a hydration pack? Never been to a big festival before. Any help greatly appreciated!
EDIT: The bladder itself is 2L, not 18L. I’m not a masochist 😂

I am on the market for a new backpack and while there are a million posts like this already, I feel like I have read them all and I am hoping that I’m not missing a good suggestion from a lesser known brand. I am also coming from a Gregory Paragon, and while this pack worked pretty well, it is heavy and I do not need all of the side entry/bottom entry zippers. I also backpack often in bear country and I would like to find a back that fit a horizontal bear can, but can also work great without it. I am a weekend warrior but I also frequent 4-5 day trips in the backcountry where my food and water tends to put me closer to 30-35 lbs. Backpacks that I am considering right now:
Durston Kakwa 55: This backpack seems to check many boxes. It is near water-proof, the U-shape frame is sturdier than twin vertical stays, and the roll top strap allows for my thin light pad to buckle right on top. The only downsides I see to this are the flat back panel for breathability and I would need to grab a BV475 since I want to store the full can inside the body of the pack. Also it is unavailable in UltraX for a couple months.
ULA Catalyst Ultra: Many similarities with Kakwa. Mainly this backpack is just too heavy. But it fits a BV500 and most other cans horizontally.
Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor: Seems to also fit a BV500 horizontally. Y frame seems to be relatively sturdy. Back panel provides the best breathability compared to the others in this list. Adjustable volume depending on load. However no front mesh storage pocket, no great way to attach bulky items like cc foam pads with external straps. Does not come in Ultra…which is fine.
ULA Circuit Ultra: All the pros of the Catalyst, but would also need to downsize bear can to BV475. Frame does not seem to provide horizontal stability like Y-frame of the flex or U-frame of the Kakwa.
Bear Ears Hybrid: This pack is really cool. Only hesitation is the flipping of the material seems like it might be a wear point of the pack. Also the frame only seems to be two vertical stays.
Are there any other packs I might be glossing over?

I posted this on backpacking a few days ago and was told to bring this here;
Hey guys, I was just curious if anyone has any opinions of the gear that I’m currently using and if there are any known, common issues that I should look out for?
I’m running the MSR Hubba Hubba 2 tent, SeaToSummit Women's Ultralight Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat, and the Mountain Hardwear Bishop Pass -9°C Womens Down Sleeping bag.
Any thoughts on what I should add or watch for?
Edit: I forgot to add that I ordered the Gregory Amber 65L pack about a week ago and am waiting on it to come in.

anybody knows if I can find good original backpacks for hiking like ospray or gregory in Indi or Vietnam?

Hi I'm new to hiking and live in Singapore where it's super hot and humid year round. Recently hiked 10km on my local trail and used a North Face Hot Shot as my backpack but it was so hot and my back was absolutely drenched and noticed it wasn't big enough for what I carry.
Was looking at the Osprey Hikelite 24 and the Gregory Citro 24L and wanted an opinion on which is better.

I’ve never directly compared my pack alongside others before, but I stopped for a strawberry lemonade in Supai, Arizona last week ($8) and the cafe had a set of backpack hooks out front so that backpackers could hang packs before coming in.
There were a lot of packs hung there by all sizes and kinds of hikers. My DD40, which swallows up 14 days of food and gear for me in the wilderness, was obviously the smallest one there. The water bottle pockets make it look like an especially slim pack but it’s also slightly less wide and tall than the Gregory, REI, North Face, Deuter, and Osprey packs lined up there.
I see a lot of other hikers wearing various backpacks when I’m on popular trails. But I can’t see myself, so I never saw them lined up before for comparison.
I’m pretty sure there’s no 4D technology making it bigger on the inside. No Time And Relative Dimension On Trail. Mostly it’s just made of x-pac.
One other thing I noticed is that mine is wearing significantly after four years, with holes on wear points of the face fabric. It’s still intact, though, as several hours of rain didn’t penetrate the waterproof layers at all. I thought I was going to wait for the 2024 model but maybe I shouldn’t. I tried today ordering the 2023 but the KAKWA40 code doesn’t seem to work anymore. Maybe they’re bringing 2024s online.
—
Incidentally, there are a whole lot of X Mids down there for the first time.

I’m big and tall and so is my son. His 50L Gregory pack is too dang small nowadays. I’ve tried to keep us limited to small and light gear but there’s only so much you can do when you’re over 6-ft.
How do you backpackers make do with such small packs? Are you sleeping under just a napkin, on top of bare rocks? No sleeping bag? Eating Soylent green?
Like, what the hell, what are you actually carrying besides half a toothbrush?
EDIT: thank you for the feedback. I feel like there’s only so much I can do about the size of my gear itself. But move the inflatable sleeping pad to be strapped to the exterior, get tent out of its bag and smoosh into backpack, poles carefully strapped to the side. Sleeping bag gets out of compression sack and smooshed into backpack instead.
Other items were already doing. Tiny stove, titanium cups, etc.

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/4aXEyUR
Link to this backpack on Gregory’s website for better pictures and details: https://www.gregory.com/packs/backpacking/zulu-55/1452939976.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw57exBhAsEiwAaIxaZmRab7y_C2jYCj8IS-AhRL8ZD-UXD_SKXUn_N-2nHRqCtxbF61t_5RoCSgMQAvD_BwE
Bought this backpack last year and only got out to use it for one ruck/hike. Ended up doing around 35 miles while carrying just under 40 pounds in this in it. I had zero complaints with it for the whole 2 days, it held the weight perfectly and also the mesh back frame area did a really nice job keeping me cool. Hip and shoulder pads are all very comfortable and everything stayed completely dry in the light/medium rain I dealt with.
Please let me know if you have any questions and for those of you wondering this is a pretty decent ranger greenish color which is what I was looking for when I got it.
$125 shipped OBO SOLD

Clearing out the packs I no longer use or need.

• Prices include U.S. shipping of my choosing, if you want expedited service or specific carrier that will cost more
• Local pickup or delivery in Portland, OR area is available
• I accept PayPal and Venmo, goods/services required for both unless it's an in-person exchange
• Interested? Post a comment then message me via chat

Backcountry Access Float 32 with Float 2.0 Air Cylinder - $400 price reduced on May 12
https://imgur.com/a/bOZjDlX
color: Warning Red
condition: 8.5 / 10
comments: Used lightly in 2023 only, has a few light scuffs and dark spots but otherwise excellent. Includes owner’s manual with instructions for cylinder removal and re-installation. Airbag deployment tested at start of 2024 season, stayed in closet since then and never taken out. The cylinder has been refilled but unless it’s a local pickup I’ll need to re-deploy and ship it empty. Awesome pack, very comfortable, just decided an airbag isn’t something I want for the kind of stuff I do.
Gregory Targhee 45 - SOLD
https://imgur.com/a/3FDZVH8
size: Medium
color: Lava Red
condition: 7.5 / 10
comments: Used for a handful of ski tours/climbs in 2023-2024, has scattered light scuffs and marks but all superficial and not as noticeable in person with the bright fabric. Love this pack, perfect for my style of outings, however realized it’s the wrong size and I should’ve gotten the small with my shorter torso.
Osprey Atmos AG 65 - SOLD
https://imgur.com/a/4bo68gy
size: Small
color: Abyss Grey
condition: 7.5 / 10
comments: Used for four backpacking trips across 2022-2023, has some signs of wear on the front, lid, and bottom. Includes matching large Osprey rain cover. Perfect three-season hauler, but replaced this with a more mountaineering oriented pack.

I've been wilderness backpacking a couple years now and I'm ready to upgrade to longer, 2-3 night treks (rather than the mostly overnight trips I've been taking). Specifically, I'm hoping to do a few nights in the Gran Teton Ntnl Park this summer. I want to upgrade my backpack and have been scoping out a few options. I was looking at three in particular: - Osprey Exos 48L - Gregory Paragon 48L - Durston Kakwa 55L Does anyone have any experience with these packs? I'd appreciate any insight you could offer re comfort, capacity, durability, etc.!

Hey,
I will be going to Japan from 5/8 - 5/25. My bf and I are usually backpackers and don't like carrying suitcases, but since Japan is a big trip for us we expect to bring back souvenirs.
We are going to Tokyo - Mt. Fuji - Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe and all of our JR and Shinkansen are pre-booked. How annoying or easy it is to carry one suitcase?
Gregory Packable Duffle Bag
Pros: Packable, lighter, less annoying to maneuver in crowded spaces and stairs
Cons: Can't check due to risk of things breaking, can't stuff too much, harder to carry once heavy
Away Carry-On Suitcase
Pros: Wheels for when it gets heavy, can check it if needed (maybe bring back liquids), able to fit more stuff in it due to not being limited by overhead bin
Cons: Harder to maneuver in crowded spaces and stairs
Edit: we are staying a few days in each city and my main backpack is the Patagonia Black Hole Mini. During the day while we are walking around I have a packable backpack from Matador

I have a Gregory Paragon 68L backpack. I love this thing, it's comfortable and fits on my frame really well. I don't feel the weight at all on my body when I'm backpacking.
The issue is after a long day of backpacking. The area around the front half of my hips are a little red, and tender, where it is obviously chafing. I have tried wearing my pants lower to see if I was pinching my skin, nothing. I tried wearing them higher as an extra later to reduce the friction against the skin but get the same issue. Tried different material shirts, no change. I also get small red chafing spots that aren't sensitive on my collar bone where my shoulder straps come across as well.
Is this a situation where the bag isn't fitting me right, or does my skin needs to just toughen up a little bit?
Am I tightening my hip and shoulder strap to tightly?
Looks and feels like it is fitting me correctly, but I have not gone to REI or to another store to have someone confirm the fit.
My concern is the constant rubbing leads to serious chafing my skin raw on the trail which is going to be uncomfortable and brutal.